


There's a word for it in Ahkasic

by Nary



Category: Adventure World (game)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Children, Cultural Differences, Family, Mother-Son Relationship, Multi, Polyamory, Unconventional Families, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-02
Updated: 2013-03-02
Packaged: 2017-12-04 02:12:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/705321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It's not about that. It's about me, and Vedran..."</p><p>"What about him?" His mother's eyes narrowed cautiously, as if bracing for bad news.</p><p>"It's all right," he assured her. "It's good, actually. He's getting married..."</p><p>His mother scowled despite his claim that this was good news. "Not to you, I suppose. Some noble girl?"</p><p>"No, and yes," Aleyn said with a smile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's a word for it in Ahkasic

Aleyn had been putting off the talk with his mother, but eventually he was going to have to tell her. So he braced himself and made the walk to Midway, to his childhood home, one chilly morning. He tried to time things so he wouldn't arrive in the middle of the breakfast rush - he was hoping his siblings would all be at work, so he could catch his mother alone.

She welcomed him with a hug and some mild, motherly criticism. "So busy lately, no time to come for a proper meal? You look thinner."

Aleyn smiled despite his nerves. "Maybe soon, I hope. Things are crazy right now, but I'll see if I can manage dinner next week, okay?"

His nieces were playing intently in the sitting room when he walked in. "Hi Alynna, Teyra," he said to them. They barely glanced up long enough to acknowledge him - he'd been home long enough this time that he'd gotten boring, he supposed. Besides, they knew by now that he wasn't going to bring presents every time he showed up.

"You want some tea?" his mother asked. "Still some left from breakfast."

"Sure," Aleyn said, more because it would give them both something to do. He came to sit down at the table and his mother served him a cup of the dark brew. It was strong and bitter, but comforting too, as he wrapped his hands around the warm cup.

His mother sat down across from him, giving him a measured look. "You have something you need to tell me," she said at last. "Are you going away again?"

"Not yet," he told her, deciding he could leave aside his explanation of the mission to Nachtur for the time being. "It's not about that. It's about me, and Vedran..."

"What about him?" His mother's eyes narrowed cautiously, as if bracing for bad news.

"It's all right," he assured her. "It's good, actually. He's getting married..."

His mother scowled despite his claim that this was good news. "Not to you, I suppose. Some noble girl?"

"No, and yes," Aleyn said with a smile.

"What does that mean?"

"It means he's marrying me _and_ a noble girl." Aleyn took a sip of his tea and waited a moment for that to sink in.

His mother blinked, then reached out to clasp his hand. "Is it true? You can do that here?"

"Well." That was a slightly more complicated question, but he had to answer it. "It's not exactly... customary, but some temples will do weddings like this. Vedran and Ardith - that's her name, by the way, Ardith Aethelin - will have to have a public ceremony too, just them, but that will be more for show and for their families. The real wedding will already have taken place. We'll just have to keep it quiet. So... for now, at least, I don't want to tell the rest of the family."

She nodded, mulling the matter over, knowing full well that his six siblings wouldn't be able to keep such a story quiet for very long. "Someday, though, they will be able know?"

"I hope so," Aleyn said. "Someday, hopefully before too long, I'll be living in the same house as them, and I imagine people will figure it out after that, or once children arrive... We just want to make sure things go smoothly right now, and the fewer people who know, the less likely there is to be any trouble."

His mother's ears perked up. "Children, you say?"

Aleyn chuckled - he had known that would be what would interest her the most. "Yes, Mom, probably plenty of children. Vedran already has his son, of course, and I was already planning to adopt, even before all this fell into place... And fortunately Ardith is all right with that, although we'll have to work out details about things like inheritance."

His mother waved a hand as if to indicate that such matters were unimportant. "But children with this woman and Vedran? Or you and her? I know you say you don't like girls, but now you're changing your mind?"

Aleyn shrugged, blushing. "Mom, the precise details of the triangle shouldn't matter. There will certainly be children, and I plan to love them and treat them as my own regardless of... of who made them. I hope you'll feel the same once you meet them. I hope you'll like Ardith too - she's very sweet and kind, and I like her a lot - which doesn't mean I'm changing my mind," he added, "just that she's going to be part of my family, my partner, and I hope you can understand that."

"Ah," his mother said, nodding. "Your _eirtak_."

It took Aleyn a second to process the Ahkasic word, but then he nodded. It was as good a term as any, better than most they'd mulled over, meaning something like co-spouse, although there were additional nuances he couldn't quite translate, about sharing a mate. "I should have known there'd be a word for it in Ahkasic," he said with a smile. "I don't know why that didn't occur to me."

She smiled. "Better that than being his _farjhan_ ," she said wryly. "That was what I thought you were going to tell me."

"Mom!" Aleyn looked pained. The word literally meant 'slave boy', but it had the implication of a bed partner, probably one captured in war. "It... it wouldn't have been like that, even if... if we weren't getting married, he isn't... I'm not... We love each other!"

She patted his hand as he trailed off in embarrassment. "I know, things are different here, I've heard that plenty of times. Maybe not quite so different, though, hm? I'm happy for you, Aleyn, and I hope you can make a good life for yourself and your family. And children! Well, I had almost stopped wishing for those for you, so whatever sorts you find yourself with will be a blessing - whether they have black hair like yours or red like his, or something else."

Aleyn swallowed slightly. "Probably the 'something else'," he told her. "The children I'm hoping to adopt are a shifter and a drow - so golden-brown and white hair, respectively. And Ardith is dragonborn, so... think scales."

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at [naryrising](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/naryrising) if you want to ask questions, make requests, or chat!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Hand in hand](https://archiveofourown.org/works/747587) by [Nary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary)




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